Retail Excellence Ireland has launched Small Business Saturday in Ireland. This is a campaign which profiles small business and encourages consumers to shop locally and support jobs and enterprises in their respective communities. It is a social media and marketing campaign that provides local businesses with the collateral that they need to inform consumers on the power of their local spend.
Speaking this week David Fitzsimons REI CEO said, “Small Business Saturday is an idea that is spreading around the world. It is about letting consumers know that if they shop local, then they support local jobs and businesses. As we come to the Christmas season, a vital period for domestically focussed companies, Small Business Saturday can play a major role in supporting jobs and businesses and ensuring that your local town thrives throughout the year.
“Every €1 spent in a small local store is worth €4 to the local economy in terms of employment supported and economic activity levels maintained. This is vital to supporting the 272,000 people working in the retail industry across Ireland. Most of these people are employed by small local stores. Therefore shopping locally will support their jobs.
“Small Business Saturday also complements REI’s efforts to profile our smaller towns and encourage all citizens to support local business and employment locally. Even a small diversion of spend to a consumer’s local town can have a huge positive impact - we look forward to driving this initiative in the years ahead,” he concluded.
